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UPDATE AS AT 18 SEPTEMBER 2015

Our thanks to so many who have supported our campaign to ensure that development of the waterfront industrial land in Berrys Bay is of a scale and style consistent with the special natural and heritage values of this iconic gem of Sydney Harbour. Your support has been very strong:

Over 400 attended the public meeting at the Coal Loader on Sunday 30 August.

Over 400 submissions were received by Council by the close of the 30-day Exhibition period on 7th September. We expect most submissions were against the scale of the proposed overdevelopment. We have asked Council for a precise count.

Over 400 signed our paper petition and, as of today, 440 have signed our online petition (which is still open – go to www.change.org and search for Berrys Bay). The petitions state:

We oppose a massive superyacht marina in iconic Berrys Bay, an historic and beautiful bay in world renowned Sydney Harbour surrounded by public reserves. This 154 boat, 120 car overdevelopment of the Bay proposes 34 superyachts 25-45 metres, 50 large yachts 15-25 metres and 70 more boats in the dry stack on land. It will overwhelm Berrys Bay and destroy the charm of the quiet bay and magnificent views to and from the foreshore parklands. We support sensitive development of the former maritime facility but only at a scale and style consistent with the values of this rare place.

For your information and encouragement, the following are links to the two main submission reports lodged by the Precinct:

We think these Submissions make a powerful case against the scale of the proposal. Do look at the photomontages of the visual impact at the conclusion of the Chesterman report. Feel free to share these submissions with your own networksof friends, relatives, colleagues etc.

This Development Application (DA) will not be decided by Council itself. Being a matter of state significance, under the planning system the outcome will be determined by a Joint Regional Planning Panel (JRPP) of 5 members including two Councillors, under the auspices of the State Department of Planning.

The process now is for Council to assess the DA and all submissions, which it has advised will be out-sourced to an independent assessor. The elected Council may also express a position to the JRPP. We will be recommending they do so.

The JRPP deliberations will include a public hearing. We will be encouraging a strong attendance from supporters at that public hearing to reinforce the strength and breadth of community interest and concern. We are seeking answers to a number of questions about the JRPP process, including an indication of the timing of the public hearing. We will keep you informed as we learn more. At this stage we expect the public hearing will be some months away.

At the same time we are continuing the political opposition to this over-development because for many years we have pursued a negotiated outcome with government, not a confrontation. We think it is long overdue for the Premier to step in and bring sense to bear in both protecting the unique harbour values of the Bay while facilitating an appropriate redevelopment of the maritime facilities. For this to happen government has to dramatically change its thinking about the financial return from this iconic place, so valued by the wider public.